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The Current State of Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain

September 2020

NORCAL Group claims involving opioid therapy in chronic pain management patients generally involve overdose deaths. Allegations supporting negligence claims against physicians include: excessive opioid prescribing; failure to refer the patient for pain management, addiction, and/or behavioral health treatment; failure to discover the patient was doctor shopping; failure to recognize suicide risk; and negligent tapering. This article uses NORCAL Group closed claims, policyholder inquiries, and a recent medical board action to support pain treatment plans that optimize function, quality of life, and productivity while minimizing risks for opioid misuse and harm.

CASE ONE
Prescribing Opioids to a Patient with Opioid Use Disorder

CASE TWO
Prescribing Opioids for Pain vs. Treating the Underlying Causes of Pain

CASE THREE 
Chronic Pain and Suicide

CASE FOUR 
Opioid Tapering Prompted by Misunderstood Guidelines

 

Claims Rx September 2020
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